Wheels on the electric bus: Red Lake School District awarded electric school buses

To the Red Lake community, the two electric buses are valued as more than just a source of transportation. The buses act as a vehicle to promote a core value of the people of Red Lake — to protect the quality of the environment and land. 
Standard school buses run on diesel, gasoline, or even propane, fossil fuels that create greenhouse gas emissions when they transport students to and from school. Electric school buses instead are charged by electricity coming from the grid; as more renewables continue to come online, fewer and fewer emissions are produced to charge the buses for their regular routes. 

Students' health was also one of the more pivotal motivations to convert to an electric bus over diesel. 
According to the NRDC and Coalition for Clean Air, diesel exhaust accumulates and concentrates inside the bus, exposing kids to carcinogen levels 20-40 times the acceptable risk level under federal law. Even worse, children are especially susceptible to air pollution [PDF] as they take more breaths per minute than the adult population and therefore ingest at a higher quantity. With no combustion engine and no exhaust to inhale while operating, electric school buses reduce student exposure to harmful pollutants as well as the correlated risk of developing asthma or other respiratory illnesses.  
The Red Lake School District also plans to document the impacts on students’ health after implementing the new electric buses; school nurses hope to record any noticeable improvements in students with a history of asthma. 

“Why take a chance on these buses?” is a question that the district is often asked. The buses have a pricey upfront cost and there were doubts about EV battery efficiency in cold weather. Lutz’s response: “Well why wouldn't you go for this!? They’re free school buses!” 

The initial EPA grant covered roughly 90% of the equipment and installation costs. An additional IRS rebate supplemented the remainder, making the two buses the school district acquired in 2024 free. Additional technical assistance support from the Headwaters Regional Development Commissions, as well as staff training and operations logistics support provided by the Highland Electric Fleet (the company the district ordered from) helped make the opportunity possible.

But beyond the initial upfront cost, it’s much easier to budget for an electric bus compared to a traditional diesel bus. Fluctuations in fuel costs are difficult to account for on a year-to-year basis. Electricity tends to remain fairly consistent and predictable. In many instances, these savings will put funds back into the school’s overall budget. 

And because electric buses contain fewer moving parts, the school will save on maintenance upkeep overtime as well. To date, the district has had no significant maintenance issues of note – Lutz stresses that this change will lead to, “significantly lesser maintenance costs and more comfort for our bus mechanics who would have to deal with them.” Lutz, being a proud EV owner himself, was already privy to this fact and wanted the district to reap the same financial savings he had. 

What Lutz has found most surprising was just “How much interest there is,” even from people who may be skeptical. He mentions that when district staff attend meetings with other administrators they constantly get the “Oh how do those Electric buses work for you” with genuine interest and curiosity. Staff have mentioned that many adults ask the bus drivers what's under the hood, and they happily oblige to walk them through the specs! 

School bus operators also say that it’s evident that the elementary school students understand the importance of the electric buses and value the significance of this upgrade for both the school and the community. Initially there were worries about student’s inclination to scribble on the seats, but students continue to respect the buses and comment on how quiet they are, both impressed and intrigued. 

Riding the excitement of the two electric buses this past year, the district decided to apply for another grant to grow their electric fleet. When they applied in the 2024 round of the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Electric School Bus Program, Red Lake was awarded 3 additional buses, which will bring their fleet total to 20% electric. While delivery has taken longer than expected, Lutz anticipates the new models to arrive by the coming 2026 school year - it gets them a step closer to what Lutz sees as the next achievable goal: a fleet that’s 50% electric.